Steve Pope wrote:

> Cha-ya (with a - in the name) falls into the dependable,
> pretty low-cost, vegan category. Herbivore
> is good for vegan, with a very large menu, and they do well
> on about 90% of what they serve. For high-end vegan,
> there's Millenium (SF)... great cocktails and some very
> good food but they miss on a few items from time to time.

I still haven't been to either of these places. One of these days...

>
> For dependable, bargain-priced but limited menu lunch-only
> seafood there is Swan Oyster Depot.
>
> Most of the vegetarian chatt places in Berkeley are dependable
> and all are cheap; of these Vik's and Udupi Palace are good. I
> don't have a current recommendation for dependable low-cost
> Middle Eastern food right now.

Sunshine Deli (yeah, it's a deli, but still) on Bancroft at the south
end of UC Berkeley is good, but the service is just barely civil, so
don't look for friendly.

> For nicer and higher-cost
> mideast I like Saha. For tacqueria-price-level Mexican, I
> really think Cancun in Berkeley is tops (unrelated
> to places of the same name in SF), but we probably
> go to Christopher's (in Albany) or Casa Latina
> (Berkeley) more often.
>
> A great bargain for brunch/lunch is Meal Ticket.
>
> I could ramble on for longer but I'll stop here.

Thanks for the recommendations!

Here are our favorite local cheap eats:

Addis Eritrean, North Oakland: $20 for the Addis combo will feed three
people easily. There's not as much selection as at Cafe Colucci nearby,
but it's cheaper, and we find the food to be better. Plus, they're not
crowded the way Colucci always is.

Bowser's Pizza, downtown Berkeley: Best pizza I've ever had. Better than
the stuff we had at Tommaso's in the city last night, and really
friendly service.

Bear Naked Burgers, Temescal, and The Smokehouse, North Oakland or South
Berkeley (I'm not sure which): Good burgers, decent prices, for when
James just has to have a hamburger

Sura Korean, Temescal: Not dirt-cheap, but really reasonable, and the
dozen or so little kim chee dishes that come with every meal are both
delicious and fun, so it's a perfect place to take visitors. The service
is friendly in the extreme, and the atmosphere is fancier than the price
tag would suggest.

Long Life Vegi & Seafood, Berkeley: One of my favorites since I moved
here. Lots of gluten- and soy-based "meat substitutes", but also lots of
interesting fish dishes. I really like their pork substitute (gluten);
Guy prefers the chicken (soy).

Mt. Everest Nepalese, Berkeley: Really yummy food. Again, not
dirt-cheap, but a really good price for the food and atmosphere.

Acapulco (Mexican), in Alameda. Not part of the Acapulco's chain. This
place has been around 50+ years, and it's the first place I found with
Mexican food like I could get in San Diego. (I haven't tried many places
in the Fruitvale yet, so this place is my fave so far.)

Saysetha Thai, north Oakland, and Tuk Tuk Thai, downtown Berkeley: Good
(not superlative, but quite good) Thai food, reasonable prices, good
service.

Anzu sushi/Japanese, downtown Berkeley: Really good and fresh sushi,
perfect service, extra-cheap. So satisfactory that I've not really been
all that tempted to try Kirala down the street, because for the money,
it may be better, but I already have sushi I like available in the
neighborhood.

Serene